The evolution of soft computing applications has offered a multitude of methodologies and techniques that are useful in facilitating new ways to address practical and real scenarios in a variety of fields. In particular, these concepts have created significant developments in the engineering field. Soft Computing Techniques and Applications in Mechanical Engineering is a pivotal reference source for the latest research findings on a comprehensive range of soft computing techniques applied in various fields of mechanical engineering. Featuring extensive coverage on relevant areas such as thermodynamics, fuzzy computing, and computational intelligence, this publication is an ideal resource for students, engineers, research scientists, and academicians involved in soft computing techniques and applications in mechanical engineering areas.

Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) is a relatively new research area which describes the methods and approaches used to supply quantitative descriptions of the effects of uncertainty, variability and errors in simulation problems and models. It is rapidly becoming a field of increasing importance, with many real-world applications within statistics, mathematics, probability and engineering, but also within the natural sciences. Literature on the topic has up until now been largely based on polynomial chaos, which raises difficulties when considering different types of approximation and does not lead to a unified presentation of the methods. Moreover, this description does not consider either deterministic problems or infinite dimensional ones. This book gives a unified, practical and comprehensive presentation of the main techniques used for the characterization of the effect of uncertainty on numerical models and on their exploitation in numerical problems. In particular, applications to linear and nonlinear systems of equations, differential equations, optimization and reliability are presented. Applications of stochastic methods to deal with deterministic numerical problems are also discussed. Matlab (R) illustrates the implementation of these methods and makes the book suitable as a textbook and for self-study.

This book addresses the evaluation and optimization of key elements in concentrating solar thermal (CST) technologies, such as solar receivers and working fluids, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. It discusses both general and specific aspects, explaining the methodology used to analyze and evaluate the influence of different parameters on the facility performance. This information provides the basis for optimizing design and operating conditions in CST systems.

This book broadens readers' understanding of proactive condition monitoring of low- speed machines in heavy industries. It focuses on why low-speed machines are different than others and how maintenance of these machines should be implemented with particular attention. The authors explain the best available monitoring techniques for various equipment and the principle of how to get proactive information from each technique. They further put forward possible strategies for application of FEM for detection of faults and technical assessment of machinery. Implementation phases are described and industrial case studies of proactive condition monitoring are included. Proactive Condition Monitoring of Low-Speed Machines is an essential resource for engineers and technical managers across a range of industries as well as design engineers working in industrial product development.

This book introduces the state-of-the-art technologies in mechatronics, robotics, and MEMS devices in order to improve their methodologies. It provides a follow-up to "Advanced Mechatronics and MEMS Devices" (2013) with an exploration of the most up-to-date technologies and their applications, shown through examples that give readers insights and lessons learned from actual projects. Researchers on mechatronics, robotics, and MEMS as well as graduate students in mechanical engineering will find chapters on: Fundamental design and working principles on MEMS accelerometers Innovative mobile technologies Force/tactile sensors development Control schemes for reconfigurable robotic systems Inertial microfluidics Piezoelectric force sensors and dynamic calibration techniques ...And more. Authors explore applications in the areas of agriculture, biomedicine, advanced manufacturing, and space. Micro-assembly for current and future industries is also considered, as well as the design and development of micro and intelligent manufacturing.

This volume includes contributions presented at the Fifth IFToMM Symposium on the History of Machines and Mechanisms, held at Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro, Santiago de Queretaro, QRO, Mexico, in June 2016. It contains work on theories and facts concerning mechanisms and machines from antiquity to current times as viewed in the present day. Topics include modern reviews of past works; people, history, and their works; direct memories of the recent past; historic development theories; the history of the design of machines and mechanisms; developments of mechanical design and automation; the historic development of teaching; the history of schools of engineering and the education of engineers.

This book provides novel insights into two fundamental subjects in solid mechanics: virtual work and shape change. The author explains how the principle of virtual work represents a tool for analysis of the mechanical effects of the evolution of the shape of a system, how it can be applied to observations and experiments, and how it may be adapted to produce predictive theories of numerous phenomena. The book is divided into three parts. The first relates the principle of virtual work to what we observe with our eyes, the second demonstrates its flexibility on the basis of many examples, and the third applies the principle to predict the motion of solids with large deformations. Examples of both usual and unusual shape changes are presented, and equations of motion, some of which are entirely new, are derived for smooth and non-smooth motions associated with, for instance, systems of disks, systems of balls, classical and non-classical small deformation theories, systems involving volume and surface damage, systems with interactions at a distance (e.g., solids reinforced by fibers), systems involving porosity, collisions, and fracturing of solids.

This new edition of the Phosphor Handbook comprises three volumes and provides a comprehensive source of knowledge for researchers interested in synthesis, characterization, properties, and applications of phosphor materials. The first volume covers the theoretical background and fundamental properties of luminescence as applied to solid-state phosphor materials. New sections include the rapid developments in principal phosphors in nitrides, perovskite, and silicon carbide. The second volume provides the descriptions of synthesis and optical properties of phosphors used in different applications, including the novel phosphors for some newly developed applications. New sections on smart phosphors, quantum dots for display applications, up-conversion nanophosphors for photonic application, phosphors for solar cells. The third volume addresses the experimental methods for phosphor evaluation and characterization and the contents are widely expanded from the Second Edition, including the theoretical and experimental designs for new phosphors as well as the phosphor analysis through high pressure and synchrotron studies.

This book addresses the key concerns regarding the operation of wind turbines in cold climates and focuses in particular on the analysis of icing and methods for its mitigation. Topics covered include the implications of cold climates for wind turbine design and operation, the relevance of icing for wind turbines, the icing process itself, ice prevention systems and thermal anti-icing system design. In each chapter, care is taken to build systematically on the basic knowledge, providing the reader with the level of detail required for a thorough understanding. An important feature is the inclusion of several original analytical and numerical models for ready computation of icing impacts and design assessment. The breadth of the coverage and the in-depth scientific analysis, with calculations and worked examples relating to both fluid dynamics and thermodynamics, ensure that the book will serve not only as a textbook but also as a practical manual for general design tasks.

This book starts with a short recapitulation on basic concepts, common to any types of robots (serial, tree structure, parallel, etc.), that are also necessary for computation of the dynamic models of parallel robots. Then, as dynamics requires the use of geometry and kinematics, the general equations of geometric and kinematic models of parallel robots are given. After, it is explained that parallel robot dynamic models can be obtained by decomposing the real robot into two virtual systems: a tree-structure robot (equivalent to the robot legs for which all joints would be actuated) plus a free body corresponding to the platform. Thus, the dynamics of rigid tree-structure robots is analyzed and algorithms to obtain their dynamic models in the most compact form are given. The dynamic model of the real rigid parallel robot is obtained by closing the loops through the use of the Lagrange multipliers. The problem of the dynamic model degeneracy near singularities is treated and optimal trajectory planning for crossing singularities is proposed. Lastly, the approach is extended to flexible parallel robots and the algorithms for computing their symbolic model in the most compact form are given. All theoretical developments are validated through experiments.

IFToMM conferences have a history of success due to the various advances achieved in the field of rotor dynamics over the past three decades. These meetings have since become a leading global event, bringing together specialists from industry and academia to promote the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and information on the latest developments in the dynamics of rotating machinery. The scope of the conference is broad, including e.g. active components and vibration control, balancing, bearings, condition monitoring, dynamic analysis and stability, wind turbines and generators, electromechanical interactions in rotor dynamics and turbochargers. The proceedings are divided into four volumes. This first volume covers the following main topics: Active Components and Vibration Control; Balancing; Bearings: Fluid Film Bearings, Magnetic Bearings, Rolling Bearings and Seals; and Blades, Bladed Systems and Impellers.

In this book advanced balancing methods for planar and spatial linkages, hand operated and automatic robot manipulators are presented. It is organized into three main parts and eight chapters. The main parts are the introduction to balancing, the balancing of linkages and the balancing of robot manipulators. The review of state-of-the-art literature including more than 500 references discloses particularities of shaking force/moment balancing and gravity compensation methods. Then new methods for balancing of linkages are considered. Methods provided in the second part of the book deal with the partial and complete shaking force/moment balancing of various linkages. A new field for balancing methods applications is the design of mechanical systems for fast manipulation. Special attention is given to the shaking force/moment balancing of robot manipulators. Gravity balancing methods are also discussed. The suggested balancing methods are illustrated by numerous examples.

Addressing structures, this book presents a classic discipline in a modern setting by combining illustrated examples with insights into the solutions. It is the fruit of the author's many years of teaching the subject and of just as many years of research into the design of optimal structures. Although intended for an advanced level of instruction it has an undergraduate course at its core. Further, the book was written with the advantage of having massive computer power in the background, an aspect which changes the entire approach to many engineering disciplines and in particular to structures. This paradigm shift has dislodged the force (flexibility) method from its former prominence and paved the way for the displacement (stiffness) method, despite the multitude of linear equations it spawns. In this book, however, both methods are taught: the force method offers a perfect vehicle for understanding structural behavior, bearing in mind that it is the displacement method which does the heavy number crunching. As a rule the book keeps things as simple as possible, conveying the basic ideas and refraining from lengthy calculations wherever possible. Further, it endeavors to unify the approach, showing that whatever applies to simple springs is equally valid for intricate frames. In addition to various design considerations, it also addresses several topics relating to optimal structures that will be of interest to students and teachers of structures.

Ultra-precision bearings can achieve extreme accuracy of rotation, making them ideal for use in numerous applications across a variety of fields, including hard disk drives, roundness measuring machines and optical scanners. Ultraprecision Bearings provides a detailed review of the different types of bearing and their properties, as well as an analysis of the factors that influence motion error, stiffness and damping. Following an introduction to basic principles of motion error, each chapter of the book is then devoted to the basic principles and properties of a specific type of bearing: ball, hydrodynamic, aerodynamic, hydrostatic and aerostatic. The book concludes with a comparison of these types of bearing and their applications.

The fuel consumption of a modern combustion engine is one of the most important purchase criteria in contemporary society. Increasing oil prices and exhaust emissions taxes force the automotive industry to continuously improve the vehicle engines. The fuel consumption is closely related to the frictional losses of an engine. New material pairings or constructive modifications of the piston group can reduce such losses. Another innovative concept to lower the frictional forces is the micro-structuring of thermo-mechanically highly stressed surfaces. Within an interdisciplinary research group sponsored by the German Research Foundation, scientists at the Leibniz Universitat Hannover and Universitat Kassel have been working together to investigate this research topic. This final report presents their findings and offers scope for further discussion.

The application of mathematical concepts has proven to be beneficial within a number of different industries. In particular, these concepts have created significant developments in the engineering field. Mathematical Concepts and Applications in Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics is an authoritative reference source for the latest scholarly research on the use of applied mathematics to enhance the current trends and productivity in mechanical engineering. Highlighting theoretical foundations, real-world cases, and future directions, this book is ideally designed for researchers, practitioners, professionals, and students of mechatronics and mechanical engineering.

The book gives an understanding on how thermophysical properties change as function of alloy composition and complexity. In order to reach this goal, data on density, surface tension, and viscosity as functions of alloy composition and temperature are measured and discussed for pure liquid elements, liquid binary-, and ternary alloys.

The papers in this volume present and discuss the frontiers in the mechanics of controlled machines and structures. They are based on papers presented at the International Workshop on Advanced Dynamics and Model Based Control of Structures and Machines held in Vienna in September 2015. The workshop continues a series of international workshops held in Linz (2008) and St. Petersburg (2010).

Joint endoprosthetics - the science of implanting artificial joints into the human body - has been around since the 1960 s, and consistent advancements are leading to better practice, materials and mechanics.
The present book is devoted to the biophysics and effect of wear, friction and lubrication on artificial joints. The important aspects of biocompatibility and wear resistance are reviewed and a retrospective analysis of modern joint endoprosthetic designs is presented. Data on clinical aspects of endoprosthetics are cited in support of the text. Advancements in genetic engineering, and promising new techniques of designing bone and cartilage transplants are explored, and a critical comparison between tribological mechanisms of operation and natural joint functioning are made.
An exceptional resource for all specialists in orthopedy, biophysics, immunology and engineers engaged in developing artificial joints.

The book is an outcome of research work in the areas of nanotechnology, interfacial science, nano- and micro-fluidics and manufacturing, soft matter, and transport phenomena at nano- and micro-scales. The contributing authors represent prominent research groups from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. The book has 13 chapters and the entire work presented in the chapters is based on research carried out over past three years. The chapters are designed with number of coloured illustrations, figures and tables. The book will be highly beneficial to academicians as well as industrial professionals working in the mentioned areas.